


Heaven Burns The Wicked

by ReneeWritesx



Series: When Heaven Calls [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec and Magnus are the cutest husbands, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-11-13 04:21:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18024587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReneeWritesx/pseuds/ReneeWritesx
Summary: Things were good. There had been peace among the Shadow World for two years, and great progress had been made. Things were good, and Alec was the happiest he had been in a long time.His siblings were thriving. He was married to the love of his life. The institute was operating the best it ever had. Relationships among shadowhunters and downworlders were growing stronger every day.Things were good.“How long do you think this is going to last?” Jace asked, pulling Alec from his thoughts.Jace just had to ask that, didn’t he?—aka: the sequel to "Heaven Was Needing A Hero" I never intended to write, but somehow have found new ways to put our favorite team of heroes through hell. Maybe with less death this time. Maybe.





	1. This World of Ours

_Two years since Valentine’s defeat._

Magnus had seen a lot of things in his long life, but one sight he would never tire of seeing was a sleeping Alec Lightwood. 

Alec _Lightwood-Bane_. Two years later and Magnus still got butterflies at the thought. 

There was something about the way Alec’s features softened and his quiet snores that always made Magnus feel at peace. 

Currently, Alec was passed out on the couch in the living room of the loft, turned on his side and face pressed into the back couch cushions. Magnus sighed fondly, putting the food he had conjured up for their dinner away in the fridge with a snap of his fingers. 

Tonight was supposed to be date night. Sometimes that meant Magnus portalling him and Alec to a restaurant anywhere they dreamed of, sometimes that meant Magnus would conjure up some of their favorite foods and they would enjoy a quiet night in together. Tonight was one of those nights, but it appeared Alec had fallen asleep while Magnus was finishing up with a client, before they could even get to dinner. 

It had been two years since they had defeated Valentine at Lake Lyn. Two years since the Clave has begun its reform. Two years since Magnus had married the love of his life, and vowed to spend eternity with him. 

Magnus walked over to the couch, sitting on the edge and gently rubbing circles on Alec’s back. Alec let out a content sigh, slowly shifting his head so he could blink up at Magnus. 

“Hey,” he murmured softly, a tired smile on his lips. 

“Hey yourself,” Magnus said, smiling back. 

“Did I sleep through dinner?” Alec asked, slowly waking up more. 

Magnus brushed some of Alec’s hair back with his fingers. “It’s tucked away in the fridge, ready whenever you are.” 

“What time is it?” 

Magnus glanced on the clock on the wall before looking back down at Alec. “Eight.” 

Alec rolled fully onto his back, stretching before slowly sitting up. Magnus laughed at the sight of his hair, which was flat against one side of his head. 

“Long day?” Magnus asked, unable to hold back his smile at how adorable Alec was. 

Alec smiled back at him. “I thought one of the rules of date night was not talking about work?” 

“True,” Magnus said, wrapping his arms around Alec’s neck. “And what’s the other rule?” 

“Hmmm,” Alec hummed, leaning in a little closer and glancing down at Magnus’s lips. “Less clothes?” 

“Definitely less clothes,” Magnus said before pushing forward and finally connecting their lips. 

—

Alec groaned at the sound of his alarm, burrowing deeper into the warmth of their bed. The familiar sound of snapping fingers shut the alarm off and he felt arms wrap around him, pulling him closer. 

He burrowed his face into the familiar silk of Magnus’s pajamas, smiling softly as Magnus gently began to run his fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. 

“Would it be awful if you were a little late getting to the institute this morning?” Magnus nearly whined. 

“I’m sure I could manage to get away with it,” Alec said, cutting off briefly to yawn before continuing, “but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be meeting with Imogen in an hour.” 

“Damn that woman and her insistence upon early morning meetings,” Magnus grumbled. 

“Amen to that,” Alec agreed, burrowing deeper into the covers. 

“Hey,” Magnus protested softly. “If I have to get up, then so do you.” 

“That’s so not fair,” Alec replied lazily, finally opening his eyes to look at Magnus. 

“Life isn’t fair,” Magnus retorted, shifting out from under Alec and getting up. He walked around the bed and over to the windows, pulling the curtains open. “Rise and shine!” 

“Magnus!” Alec exclaimed, grabbing his pillow and covering his face with it to block out the sudden sunlight. 

Magnus smirked proudly to himself before walking into the bathroom. As he followed his usual routine, he peeked out the door to see Alec still lying in the bed, now cocooned in their comforter, pillow still over his face. 

He shook his head fondly and walked further into the bathroom. 

“If you get up now, you’ll have time to join me in the shower!” he called, his tone light and teasing. 

Magnus smiled to himself as he heard the sound of the blankets being thrown back and Alec’s feet scrambling across the bedroom floor. 

—

Alec walked up the steps of the institute, cup of coffee in one hand and phone in the other as he sent a text to Luke. Once it sent, he shoved his phone in his pocket and walked through the doors. 

He was greeted by the sight of a busy opscenter, composed of shadowhunters and downworlders alike, working efficiently side by side. Underhill greeted him from where he and a werewolf were looking over a map of the city. Alec smiled knowingly at the way the two men were standing so close to each other, and made a mental note to ask Underhill about that later. 

Alec exited the opscenter, passing by Izzy’s office. He paused to glance inside, but it was empty. He continued down the hall, smiling to himself as he spotted Jace in one of the training rooms with some of the young trainees. 

Jace turned, as if sensing Alec walking by, and shot him a smile. 

He reached his office, stepping inside but leaving the door open as he made his way to his desk. Unless he was working on something highly important or classified, he liked to keep his door open. He wanted people to know that they could come to him at anytime. 

Alec was quick to get to work, looking over the drafts of some new accord proposals. Three cups of coffee and two hours later, he felt as if he had made some progress. He switched over to the reports from the previous night’s patrols, rolling his eyes at Simon’s messy handwriting. 

Clary and Simon turned out to be a good patrol team, when they actually focused. Clary had grown up a lot in the past year, and Alec found that he fully trusted her when it came to leading patrols. He was still working on Simon. 

Around noon, there was a knock on his door and he looked up to see Izzy standing in the open doorway, two plates of food in her hands. Alec scrunched his nose, and she glared at him. 

"I didn't cook this," she quipped, walking into his office and passing him a plate before she took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. 

Alec smiled as he recognized Max's attempt at a grilled cheese. It was still better than anything Izzy ever attempted to make. 

"Has Max chosen a weapon yet?" Alec asked before taking a bite of his sandwich. 

"Not yet," Izzy said, shaking her head. "He's tried out a few different ones, but nothing has stuck. I have a feeling of what he'll end up picking, but I want him to figure it out himself. It's always such a big moment." 

Alec nodded, thinking back to the moment when he had chosen the bow. He was nearly just as good with a seraph blade, but he preferred the strategy of fighting with a bow and being able to see things going on at all times. 

"What do you think he is going to pick?" Alec asked, looking at her curiously. 

"The staff," Izzy said before taking another bite of her sandwich. 

Alec furrowed his eyebrows. "Really?" 

"Don't make that face," Izzy said, pointing at him. "The staff is a great weapon of defense, and not nearly as bulky and awkward to carry around like they used to be. Not when you have an amazing weapons master." 

Alec rolled his eyes at her, and she laughed. They fell into a comfortable silence as they ate. Izzy finished her sandwich and placed the plate on Alec’s desk before leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs, a small smile forming on her lips. 

“Can you believe how far we’ve come?” She said softly. 

Alec looked at her, waiting for her to continue. 

“I know there’s still a long way to go,” she added, but her smile widened. “But just seeing the progress, knowing we are making a positive change for our world, it’s so uplifting. The work you have done with the institute and with The Clave is incredible. I mean, Magnus is a Clave Official now. Who would have ever thought something like that would ever be possible? And now it’s slowly becoming normal. Jace doesn’t just train shadowhunters, he trains werewolves, vampires, and even warlocks. They patrol with us. They protect mundanes with us. We’re united. And we owe so much of that to you. You’re our mockingjay.” 

Alec’s smile shifted from a smile to a look of confusion. “I’m a what?”

Izzy laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “Never mind, it’s a mundane story that you’d probably hate.” 

Alec rolled his eyes and went back to eating his sandwich. When he finished, Izzy picked up his plate and stacked it on top of hers. 

“Taki’s tonight, right?” She asked as she reached his door. 

“Yep,” Alec said, returning to his stack of paperwork. 

Izzy smiled and walked out. 

—

“ - and then, Max totally kicked his ass,” Jace said, gesturing with his hands. “I’m telling you, Max is going to be top of his training class.” 

Izzy snorted. “Not in rune studies. He still gets the heat and courage in combat runes mixed up. One of these days, he’s going to burn the whole institute down.” 

Alec smiled as he leaned back in the booth, watching his siblings talk. They were seated in their usual booth at Taki’s, their food long finished but unable to bring themselves to leave just yet. 

Things were good. There had been peace among the Shadow World for two years, and great progress had been made. Things were good, and Alec was the happiest he had been in a long time. 

His siblings were thriving. He was married to the love of his life. The institute was operating the best it ever had. Relationships among shadowhunters and downworlders were growing stronger every day. 

Things were good. 

“How long do you think this is going to last?” Jace asked, pulling Alec from his thoughts. 

Alec furrowed his eyebrows. 

“This...calmness,” Jace added, leaning his elbows on the table. “Things have been so calm for a year. It’s starting to feel...easy.” 

“Easy?” Alec snorted. “Maybe running training is easy for you, you should try rewriting the accords.” 

Jace rolled his eyes as he laughed. “Training the next generation of demon hunters for the New York Institute isn’t easy. They’re angsty and sweaty and thickheaded. I’m not sure if they even know what hygiene is.” 

Alec shared a look with Izzy. “Angsty, sweaty, and thickheaded. Sound familiar?” 

Izzy laughed, while Jace threw his napkin at Alec. 

“You two are the worst.” 

—

_Darkness crept along the edges of the old, desolate concrete walls. Cracks spiderwebbed through the surface, alcoves for the darkness to seep within and inhabit like suffocating vines._

_What was once a home of hope and faith had become a host for despair and evil._

_The air was warm, almost stuffy, as she made her way into the old church, each step delicate but purposeful. Her shoulders were square and her head held high._

_She felt right at home in the darkness._

_Inhaling through her nose, she made her way down the aisle between the rows of old, dusty wooden pews until she reached the front, where a single altar stood. She ran her hands over the surface, her fingernails painted a deep shade of green that matched the coat she was wearing._

_She walked up the two stone steps and turned, so that she was standing at the altar as if she was about to speak. Her eyes swept over the dark, gray room before settling on the figure that had started to creep through the doorway._

_She slowly smiled. "Welcome to Earth, my darling.”_

_The figure walked closer, making its way toward her and pausing only a few steps away. She smiled at it for a moment longer before sweeping her eyes around the church again._

_“Yes, this place will be perfect,” she said, satisfied. “Let’s prepare the sacrifice.”_


	2. Dark Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so happy to see that you guys are excited about this sequel and I can't wait to see where this story takes us! :)

Alec was going to _kill_ Jace. 

He just had to say things were going too well, that things were too calm. He just couldn’t keep his worries to himself and had to say them out loud. And now things were definitely not calm. 

Alec ducked to avoid getting scratched by a demon’s talons, firing an arrow as he rolled onto his knees. 

It was supposed to be a routine patrol. Jace was taking some of the trainees out to have them start practicing their skills in the field. It was a huge step in their training, and Alec had wanted to be a part of it. 

But the intel they had been given was wrong, and now they found themselves stumbling into a full nest of achaieral demons. 

Normally, Alec and Jace could handle a situation like this with only a little trouble if they were on their own. But with four newbies to protect, the job became much harder. 

The trainees were doing pretty well, and appeared to only have a few minor injuries. Alec remained on his knees, pausing to evaluate the situation. There were only four demons left. Jace was taking on two while the trainees worked in teams to fight off the remaining two. 

"Alec, behind you!" Jace suddenly shouted. 

Alec didn't have time to move. Another demon swooped in, clamping onto his arm before pushing off the ground and lifting him into the air.  
Alec cried out in pain as the demon’s claws sank into his shoulder. 

"ALEC!" Jace screamed. 

Alec struggled in the hold of the demon as he was lifted higher off the ground. He knew he couldn't allow himself to get much higher or there was no way he was going to get out of this.

With his free arm, Alec reached back into his arrow holster and pulled out an arrow. In one fluid motion, he stabbed the arrow into one of the demon's eyes. The demon screamed in pain and released him. 

All the air left Alec's body in a rush as he freefell toward the ground. Jace attempted to catch him, but it resulted in both of them crashing to the pavement. Jace immediately was on his feet to finish off the demon while Alec remained on the ground, trusting his brother to finish the job. 

Alec dragged himself into a sitting position and leaned back against the alley wall. One of the trainees, a young warlock named Lola, ran to his side, gently inspecting his shoulder. 

Lavender magic flowed from her palm, and Alec clenched his jaw to prevent himself from hissing out in pain. The pain shifted to relief as she worked carefully to heal the wound. 

“Are you okay?” Jace demanded as he reappeared, dropping down next to them. 

“I’m fine, Jace,” Alec said, taking a few deep breaths. “Lola healed it just fine.” 

Lola blushed and leaned back before standing to join the other trainees. She began to check their wounds while Jace looked at Alec’s shoulder. 

“She healed it pretty nicely,” Jace admits. “Maybe not as nicely as Magnus would have done, but still a pretty good job.” 

Alec rolled his eyes at him. 

“Just wait until Magnus hears about this,” Jace continued with a chuckle. “He’s going to try to portal you home and hold you hostage for a week.” 

“He doesn’t need to be notified,” Alec exclaimed, slapping at Jace’s hand when Jace pulled out his phone. “I’m healed. Don’t make him worry. He’s in Idris all day today in meetings with Imogen. Don’t bother him.” 

This time, Jace rolled his eyes but put his phone back away nonetheless. Jace stood, extending his hand down to Alec. Alec accepted it, wincing slightly as he allowed Jace to pull him to his feet. He looked at his shoulder, frowning at the tear in his leather jacket. 

Jace began to speak to the trainees. “Obviously this patrol didn’t go as planned, but you guys held your own pretty well. I’m proud of you. And you should be proud of yourselves.” 

Alec smiled at his brother. Jace had grown up a lot in the past few years. Part of Alec worries that his death and then resurrection, twice, caused Jace to grow up too fast, but in reality, they all had to grow up too fast. 

“And as a reward,” Alec said, quickly gaining their attention. “You get to write your first patrol report.” 

One of the trainees, a young werewolf named John, actually looked excited while the rest held in groans. Alec smirked, and Lola opened a portal to the institute. 

—

"Alec, your uh, father is here." 

Alec looked up from the report he was reading over to see Underhill standing in his doorway. "Why?" 

Underhill offered a stiff shrug. "I'm not sure. He wouldn't say." 

Alec sighed, standing up and walking around his desk to follow Underhill out toward the opscenter. He hadn't seen his father since his trial in Idris, but they had barely even spoken then. Alec was pretty sure his father would have preferred if he had stayed dead. 

Robert had been banished to the LA Institute, never to hold a position within the Clave again. Alec was happy that he was on the other side of the country. 

His father was standing in the opscenter, hands clasped behind his back and expression serious. He spotted Alec, and his shoulder stiffened slightly. Alec couldn't bring himself to force a smile. If his father wanted to act like his son no longer existed, that was fine by Alec. 

"Mr. Lightwood," Alec greeted. "We weren't expecting you."

"Mr. Lightwood-Bane," Robert greeted in response, catching Alec slightly by surprise. "I need to speak with you. It's important."

"This couldn't be done over the phone?" 

"I'm afraid not." 

Alec scanned his eyes over his father before nodding once. "Follow me." 

He led the way toward his office, trying not to let his father's presence get to him. His father was silent as they stepped inside. Alec shut the door and then walked around his desk, signalling for his father to sit before he sat as well. 

His father sat, gazing around the office before turning his eyes on Alec. 

"You look happy," he suddenly forced out, pointing to the framed picture of Alec and Magnus from their wedding day on his desk. 

"We are," Alec said stiffly. 

"That's good," his dad replied, almost too quiet to hear. 

"We don't need to do this," Alec said, trying to hold his frustration in. "You don't need to pretend to be my father. You made that pretty clear when you didn't bother to come see me after I died. Twice. So, what are you here for?" 

"Alec," Robert sighed. 

"You said it was important," Alec pressed. 

His father hesitated before nodding once. "About a month ago, reports started coming in about increased demonic activity. I didn't think much of it at first, this tends to be a trend around this time of year. Halloween always brings out the worst of the mundanes." 

Alec said nothing, waiting for him to continue. 

"When the activity didn't decrease, we investigated further. Our search led us to an old, abandoned church. There was powerful magic there, you could literally feel it in the air. Dark magic. There was what appeared to be a sacrificial altar and a rift. The demons were coming from the rift. We were able to successfully close that with the assistance of some warlocks." 

"Did you discover who opened the rift?" 

His father looked nervous, an expression Alec wasn't sure he had ever seen on his father's face. Even during the trial, his father had remained expressionless. 

"The warlocks investigated further," he said slowly. "They said it was very powerful magic, but they didn't believe that a warlock was behind it. They suspect a greater demon. From Edom." 

Alec stiffened. 

"And whatever the sacrifice was about, it was a success. Because the greater demon was gone, and so was whatever had been on the altar. We found this." 

Robert dug into his pocket, pulling out something wrapped in a cloth. He unwrapped the object, extending it toward Alec. 

Alec hesitated briefly, staring down at his father's palm. It was a small stone, but the power that radiated off of it was obvious. He then reached forward, taking ahold of the stone. 

The moment his fingers touched it, it was like a shockwave struck through him. He gasped as his vision went dark and his grip tightened around the stone against his own will. 

Images flashed through his mind in rapid succession. Most of them were too blurry to comprehend, but one image was very, stunningly clear. 

_A huge demon stalked over the tops of New York City skyscrapers, creating destruction along its path. Its wingspan stretched over the length of several rooftops, and it's scales and claws glinted in the moonlight. It was a monster Alec had never seen before._

_Beyond the destruction, beyond the screaming and the fire that consumed the air, he was able to hear a voice. The voice was proud of the destruction it had caused, ravishing in the joy it brought._

_"Together, Jonathan, we will usher in a new dawn."_

The vision stopped as suddenly as it began. As Alec's vision cleared, he found his father standing over him, clearly having been calling his name. 

Alec coughed, and he tasted blood on his lips. He reached up, his hand shaking as he did. 

"I'm going to get a medic," his father said, stepping back quickly. 

"No," Alec forced out, digging his phone out of his pocket with trembling fingers. "Call Magnus." 

His father hesitated for just a moment before picking up Alec's phone and going through his contacts. 

"Magnus, it's Robert," he heard his father say awkwardly. "Can you portal to Alec's office? He - he's hurt, I think."

Alec heard the sound of a portal opening just as he grabbed the trash can from beneath his desk and threw up into it. 

"What happened?" Magnus demanded, hurrying over to him. 

"I'm okay," Alec coughed out. 

With a snap of his fingers, Alec's face was clear of blood and a bottle of water appeared in Magnus's hand. Alec took the bottle gratefully, quickly drinking a bit. 

"A little warning would have been nice," Alec said, turning to look at his father. 

Robert appeared to be shocked, his eyes wide. "It has not done that to anyone else," he insisted. 

"What is going on?" Magnus demanded, clearly frustrated from the lack of explanation. 

Alec slowly uncurled his hand, revealing the stone still in his palm. The skin around the stone was burnt and an angry shade of red. Alec hissed in pain as he turned his hand over, dropping the stone onto his desk. 

Magnus stepped forward, taking ahold of his hand gently and examining it. 

"We found that stone in an abandoned church in LA," Robert said. "The warlocks who assisted us said they believed it to belong to a greater demon from Edom." 

Magnus looked at him sharply. "And you had Alexander touch it?" 

"It never reacted like that when anyone else touched it!" Robert snapped defensively. 

"Alec has pure angel blood in his system," Magnus snapped back as he healed Alec's hand. "This stone is purely demonic." 

Robert said nothing in response, clenching his jaw. Magnus released Alec's hand and gingerly picked up the stone, looking at it closely. 

"I'd like to take this home for further examination," Magnus said, looking at Alec. 

Alec nodded. 

"Wait," Robert cut in. "Shouldn't it be examined here, at the institute? This should remain in shadowhunter possession." 

"Why?" Alec countered while Magnus's eyes narrowed just slightly. 

"I'm sure the Clave wouldn't want this in anyone else's possession -" 

"Magnus is a Clave Official," Alec said sharply. 

"It involves way too much paperwork if you ask me," Magnus said disdainfully, earning a small twitch of the lips from Alec. 

"You brought this stone to me," Alec added. "Why would you do that if you don't trust me with it?" 

"It's not that," Robert said quickly. 

"Then what is it?" Alec pressed. 

Robert looked between Alec and Magnus before letting out a sigh. "I'm trying here, Alec. I'm still adjusting. You just - you just have to give me time to get used to all of this." 

Alec said nothing, while Magnus looked slightly confused. 

"For as long as I can remember," Robert continued, "we have been separate from the downworld. It's just the way that things were. I...I know it doesn't mean that it was right. It's just that it was the only thing I knew. It's going to take me some time to adjust. I'm still...getting used to it all. The Clave is totally different now and it's a lot to take in." 

"The Clave has been reformed for over a year," Alec said tightly. "I suggest you adjust quicker. You're the head of an institute, you're supposed to set an example." 

Something flashed in Robert's eyes, but he said nothing and only offered a stiff nod. 

"Do you need anything else?" Alec asked. 

"No, that was it," Robert replied, clasping his hands together behind his back. "All I ask is that you keep me updated if you find anything else out about the stone. I think this could affect us all." 

Alec nodded. Magnus opened a portal. 

"One way trip back to LA," he said cheerfully. 

Robert glanced at him before looking back at Alec. He nodded once to him and then stepped through the portal, disappearing from sight. 

"Where did you send him?" Alec asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"LA," Magnus said quickly. 

Alec narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"So I didn't exactly send him to the institute, but he's not far," Magnus said, waving his hand dismissively. 

Alec shook his head fondly. 

"So what else happened?" Magnus said as Alec took his seat at his desk again. "I know that stone didn't just burn your hand and make you throw up blood." 

"I saw something," Alec said roughly. "It was...it was a demon unlike anything I've ever seen before. It was in the sky, and its wingspan spread across at least three skyscrapers. It was here, in New York. And it...it was destroying everything." 

Magnus looked horrified. 

"And - and there was this voice," Alec continued, rubbing his temple. "It was definitely female." 

Magnus took a step forward, sitting on the edge of Alec’s desk and looking down at him. "What did she say?" 

Alec hesitated, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes for a moment. Magnus took ahold of Alec's free hand, giving it a squeeze. 

"It said something about ushering in a new dawn," Alec said, exhaling as he did. "And it said the name Jonathan." 

"Jonathan?" Magnus said sharply. "As in Jonathan Morgenstern?" 

Alec looked up at him. "It could be anyone, Magnus." 

"I don't believe in coincidences," Magnus said, his tone grave. 

"Let's not read too much into this yet," Alec said, trying to sound reassuring. "Maybe we'll know more about it after you analyze it. I'll look through the demon records and see if I can find anything like what I saw." 

Magnus nodded. "Okay," he said softly, running a hand through Alec's hair gently. "And you're sure you are okay?" 

"Yeah," Alec said, offering him a small smile. “I’m good.” 

"What was it like?" Magnus asked as he cupped Alec's face, running the pad of his thumbs over Alec’s cheeks. 

Alec let out a content sigh as the warmth of Magnus's magic slowly swept through him, checking for any other potential injuries. 

"One second I was here, the next second it was like I was hovering over the city, watching the destruction. I had no control over my senses or awareness of where I was. I couldn't hear my father calling for me or feel myself sitting in my chair. I wasn't aware of the pain until the vision ended. Then I was suddenly coughing up blood." 

"It was coming from your nose, too," Magnus said softly, tapping Alec's nose with his finger. 

"Sorry you had to see that," Alec replied, voice just as soft. 

"Don't apologize," Magnus scolded. "I'm glad you called me. Although, I definitely wasn't expecting to hear Robert's voice when I answered the call." 

"I did not know he was coming," Alec said with a sigh. "He just showed up." 

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows together slightly. "That's odd. This seemed like a formal visit. Why would he want to keep it under the radar?" 

Alec shrugged, a distant look in his eyes. Magnus recognized it, biting back a sigh. Alec's relationship with his parents had been torn nearly beyond repair a long time ago. His relationship with Maryse had just started to be slowly sewn back together when she had sacrificed her life for Alec in the fight against Valentine. 

Robert had never tried to fix things. Magnus wasn't sure if there was even anything left to attempt to fix. He wasn't sure if Alec even wanted to try to fix things. 

But he did know that it still hurt Alec sometimes. It hurt to know that in his father's eyes, he was never good enough. It hurt to see his sister heartbroken over the fact that their father had a new wife and no longer bothered to even call. And it hurt to know that Jace had once again lost another father figure in his life. 

All of this weighed down on Alec's shoulders, and Magnus hated to see him hurting that way. Most days, it didn't. Most days, Alec didn't even think about his father. But every now and then, he would get a distant look in his eyes and Magnus knew. He knew that Alec was tearing himself apart on the inside. 

"Hey," Magnus said softly, regaining Alec’s attention. "Forget about Robert. He doesn't deserve you. Any of you. We're going to figure this out, okay?" 

Alec nodded, closing his eyes and letting out a soft sigh as he leaned into Magnus's touch. 

Magnus leaned down, kissing Alec's forehead, before reluctantly pulling away to look at the stone on the desk again. He grabbed the cloth Robert had left, using it to pick up the stone and wrap it up before tucking it away in his jacket pocket. 

"How was your meeting with Imogen?” Alec asked, attempting to change the subject. 

Magnus hummed in thought for a moment before he replied, “Productive. We continue to make great progress. I can’t remember a time where things felt this good in the Shadow World.” 

Alec smiled warmly at him, and Magnus smiled back. 

The moment was interrupted by Jace walking in with a stack of reports in his hands. “Here’s the reports from the trainees today. I still think you should have someone double check that shoulder though -” Jace finally looked up, his expression shifting to a sheepish smile as Alec glared at him. “Oh. Hi, Magnus.” 

Magnus looked between the two of them before settling on Alec. “What happened to your shoulder?” 

“It’s nothing,” Alec said quickly.

Magnus turned his gaze on Jace, his eyes sharp and demanding. 

“A demon grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him into the air,” Jace rushed out. “Alec stabbed it in the eye with an arrow. And then it dropped him.” 

Alec glared at him again. “Coward.” 

Jace glared right back. “Excuse me for not wanting your husband to magically give me a tail or something.” 

“Lola healed me right away,” Alec assured Magnus. “I’m fine.” 

“Lola?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“She’s one of the trainees,” Jace explained. 

Magnus slowly smiled. “A warlock trainee. I love how the times have changed.” 

“Thanks to New York’s mightiest power couple,” Jace said with a teasing grin. 

Alec glared at him again, and Jace scrambled out of the room.


	3. Walk on Fire

The Clave building in Idris was quiet. Alec had decided to spend the day there, away from the Institute so he could have a chance to think. Magnus had stayed up late the night before, trying to gain a better understanding of the stone and what it could be or mean. He didn’t have much luck. 

Alec had the stone with him, sitting on his desk on top of the cloth. He stood by the window, arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at the stone with a curious and apprehensive expression. 

There was a knock on his door and he tore his eyes away from the stone as Clary walked in, closing the door behind her. 

“Morning,” she greeted, walking over and extending a coffee toward him. 

He took it gratefully, taking a large sip before setting it on his desk. 

“So, what’s so important that you asked me to meet you at your office so early?” Clary asked, having learned that Alec was not one for small talk and it was best to just get straight to the point. “Did you want to go over our proposal before the meeting this afternoon?”

“No,” Alec said quietly, crossing his arms over his chest again. 

Clary looked at him patiently, her eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern. 

“My father came to visit yesterday,” Alec finally said. “And he brought this.” 

He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, carefully unwrapping the stone but still leaving it sitting on the cloth on his desk. 

Clary stepped forward to look at it, leaning down slightly. 

“Don’t touch it,” Alec added quickly. “It’s full of demonic power. It’ll hurt you since you have pure angel blood.” 

"Did it hurt you?" Clary asked sharply. 

Alec sighed, and then sat in his chair, gesturing for Clary to sit as well. 

"It burned my hand when I touched it," Alec said, "but Magnus healed me. I'm fine." 

"Where did Robert get it?" Clary asked, looking down at the stone again. 

"They found it in an abandoned church in LA," Alec replied. "There were powerful demonic signals there, and a rift that demons were escaping from. Robert believes that someone did some sort of ritual there." 

"A ritual?" Clary repeated, tucking some hair behind her ear. 

"There's more," Alec said, his tone serious. 

Clary looked back up at him. 

"Do you remember after I died the first time, and you had a nightmare? I touched your shoulder, and had a vision of Lake Lyn?" 

Clary nodded, letting out a shaky sigh. She would never forget that moment, seeing Alec's face go tight with pain and the blood that had rushed from his nose. 

"It happened again when I touched the stone," Alec said, gesturing toward it with his hand. 

"You had a vision?" Clary demanded. "Of what?" 

Alec shifted in his seat. "A demon, like nothing I have ever seen before, attacking the city. It was...demolishing everything, Clary. And there was a woman's voice. She said something about ushering in a new dawn. And she - she mentioned a name. She said Jonathan." 

Clary's eyes widened in horror. "Jonathan's alive?" 

"No," Alec said sharply. "That's not possible. I killed him. I shot him right between the eyes." 

"There's no way that was a coincidence," Clary pressed. 

Alec sighed. "I know. I was thinking about this vision all night. It was too quick, there wasn’t enough time for me to gather any information. We need to know more." 

 

“Okay,” Clary agreed. “So what do you want to do?” 

“I want to see if the stone will give me another vision.”

Clary raised her eyebrows. 

“Last time, it just gave me a nosebleed and I coughed up some blood,” Alec said, leaning his elbows on his desk. “But I was otherwise fine. I just need you to be ready to pull it out of my hands if for any reason it gets worse than that. I have gloves for you so it won’t hurt you.” 

“Woah, wait,” Clary exclaimed, sitting up straighter. “You want to do this right now?” 

Alec raised a challenging eyebrow at her. “What, like you’ve never had a maybe stupid idea?” 

“I just never thought I’d see the day where you suggested one,” Clary countered. 

Alec said nothing, extending a pair of gloves toward Clary. She took them, slipping them onto her hands as she kept her eyes on the stone. 

"It's going to burn my hand," Alec said as he tugged on the edge of the cloth to pull the stone closer. "But it wasn't serious. Magnus healed it, but a simple iratze should do the trick."

Clary looked up to meet his gaze, offering a single nod, determination in her eyes. 

Alec inhaled slowly before reaching forward and carefully picking up the stone. He held it in his palm. 

Nothing happened. Clary stood at the edge of his desk, arms already halfway extended as she prepared to take the stone if necessary. Alec exhaled, looking down at the stone with furrowed eyebrows. 

And then fire suddenly erupted throughout Alec's hand and up his arm, spreading through his veins and taking his vision with it. He lost all sense of himself, feeling as if he was floating amongst dark nothingness. 

_The air around him grew hot. He felt as if he was suffocating, as if the air around him was being swept up in a vacuum, preventing him from being able to gasp in a full breath._

_He was only able to get just enough oxygen to keep his eyes open, despite the burning his lungs._

_The darkness began to shift. The nothingness began to take shape. Beneath his feet was hot, chalky sand. He could feel the heat from it seeping through the sole of his shoes. The desert seemed to stretch on forever before coming to a stop at the end of tall, luminous mountains._

_There was a screech, and he spun to see a large demon - the one from his previous vision - soaring through the air. It was heading right for him, but he couldn't move. The sand had thickened and started to wrap itself around his legs like vines._

_Alec felt a pressure on his shoulder, and tore his eyes away from the demon to see a woman's hand resting there. He couldn't turn around to see her face. The only thing he could see was her pale skin and emerald nail polish._

_"Isn't she beautiful?" the woman said softly, and Alec recognized her voice from the previous vision._

_Alec looked back up at the demon._

_"I created her for you, Jonathan," the woman continued, satisfaction seeping into her words. "With her, nothing can stop us from wreaking destruction upon the world. We will be free again."_

The vision ended with a snap and if Alec hadn’t been seated in his chair, he would have crumbled to the floor. Clary had the stone in her gloved hands, looking at him with wide eyes. 

As his vision came back to him, Alec reached his hand up to his face, pulling back to see blood on his fingertips. His stomach twisted, and he bent over the trashcan just in time to throw up his breakfast. 

"I'm calling Magnus," Clary said, throwing the stone down onto the desk and ripping her gloves off. 

"Wait," Alec croaked out, grabbing a towel he had set to the side and pressing it to his nose. "I'm okay." 

He shakily pulled out his stele, applying an iratze. He let out a sigh of relief as the burn on his hand healed and his stomach stopped clenching. 

Alec's office fell into silence as he continued to wipe his face clean of blood. 

“What did you see?” 

Alec’s eyes flicked up to meet Clary’s. “The same demon from the first vision. And the same voice. She was - she was claiming to have created the demon. For Jonathan.” 

Clary pressed her lips together. 

Alec sighed, running a hand over his face. “Thank you for helping me with this. Let’s keep it between us from now.” 

“You don’t think we should tell Magnus or Jace?” 

“Not yet,” Alec said. “They’ll just worry.” 

After a moment, Clary nodded. It was clear that she didn’t fully agree with his decision, but that she respected his judgement. And Alec was grateful for that. 

“Now,” Alec added, straightening in his seat. “Let’s go over our proposal for this afternoon.”

Clary groaned and reached for her coffee, and he smirked at her slightly. 

—

When Alec stepped through the door into the loft that night, the smell of waffles reached his nose. He smiled to himself, setting down his bow and kicking off his boots by the door. 

"Breakfast for dinner?" he called in greeting as he made his way further inside. 

"Yes!" Magnus called back from somewhere in the apartment.

Alec followed the sound of Magnus's voice until he found him in the dining room. The table was decorated extravagantly with every type of breakfast food one could imagine. 

Alec raised his eyebrows as he looked at Magnus. "What's all this?" 

"What?" Magnus asked, voice too thick with innocence before he crossed the room and gave Alec a quick kiss. "I can't do something nice for my husband?" 

Alec scanned his eyes over the table again before looking back at Magnus, his eyebrows still raised in suspicion. 

Magnus sighed in exasperation. "Ugh, fine. You caught me." 

Alec smiled slightly, waiting for his husband to continue. Magnus gestured for him to sit before he walked around the table and sat across from him.

"Catarina is going to a warlock orphanage in Spain for a few weeks, and she's asked if I could accompany her," Magnus started before shoving a large bite of waffle in his mouth. 

"Okay," Alec said, watching as Magnus slowly chewed. "That's a good thing, right?" 

"Yeah, of course," Magnus said, mouth still full of food. "It just means that I wouldn't see you for a few weeks. Because those kids are a round the clock job and between that and keeping up on my clave duties, it -" 

"Would be easier to just stay there," Alec finished for him. He glanced around the table again before looking at Magnus, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "Did you do all this because you thought I'd be sad that you are leaving me for a few weeks?" 

"Don't tease me," Magnus practically whined. 

Alec stacked a few waffles on his plate. He looked back up at Magus, smiling softly at him. “I think I’ll be a alright for a few weeks, Magnus. There is this thing called modern technology, which based on the fact that you text me several times throughout the day and FaceTime me at least twice, I’m pretty sure you know how to use.” 

Magnus gave in and smiled at him. "I'll portal to see you any chance I get - Alexander?" 

Alec looked confused at Magnus's sudden serious expression. "What?" 

"Your nose is bleeding," Magnus said, standing up from his seat and stuffing a napkin into Alec's hand before Alec even had a chance to react. 

Alec pressed it to his nose while Magnus continued to look at him in silent concern. Shadowhunters didn't normally get something as mundane as a nosebleed. At least, not without getting hit or something first. 

"It's probably from the stone," Alec said, voice muffled by the napkin. 

Magnus looked at him sharply. "That happened yesterday. If the effects are lasting this long -"

"I touched it again today," Alec said, and Magnus stiffened. Alec continued quickly. "Clary was with me, so I wasn't alone. We needed answers and I wanted to see if it would give me another vision."

"Did it?" Magnus asked, still sounding angry despite his curiosity. 

Alec nodded, looking up at Magnus and keeping the napkin pressed to his nose. Magnus slowly reached forward, gently prying Alec's hand away to look at his face. 

"The bleeding has stopped," Magnus said, clearing away all signs of blood with a snap of his fingers. He dropped down into the seat next to Alec. "What did the stone show you?" 

"I was somewhere I didn't recognize," Alec said, looking down at the table as he did his best to remember the details. "It was hot, and sandy. The sky was different - almost purple with streaks of red like it was on fire. The air felt thick and heavy, it was hard to breathe, and there were some mountains off in the distance."

Magnus listened intently, his gaze unwavering. 

"The demon from the first vision was there again, circling the sky and letting out these horrible sounds. And the woman's voice was there again, too, and this time she touched my shoulder. I couldn't see her face, I wasn't able to turn around. She said...she made it sound like she had created the demon. She said, I created her for you, Jonathan. With her, nothing can stop us from wreaking destruction upon the world. We will be free again." 

Magnus stood and spun away from Alec as he started to pace, bringing a hand up to his chin as he thought. Alec watched him, waiting for Magnus to work out whatever was currently on his mind. 

Magnus spun back toward him. "The mountains...how many were there?" 

Alec closed his eyes, trying to bring the vision back to him. "Four." He reopened his eyes. "Definitely four." 

Magnus exhaled, his shoulders slumping. 

"What is it?" Alec asked, standing as well. "What's wrong?" 

"What you described...it sounds like Edom," Magnus said slowly. "And whoever this woman is...she's strong enough to create powerful demons. I can only think of one greater demon, who resides in Edom, with that kind of power. Other than my father." 

Alec remained silent, waiting for Magnus to continue. 

"Her name is Lilith," Magnus said, fiddling with one of his rings. "And she is the embodiment of pure evil."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	4. Storm in the Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Sorry for a bit of delay in this, I think I finally have at least a rough summary of where I want this story to go and I'm super excited to share it with you! 
> 
> Also, thank you SO MUCH for all the kind comments I've been receiving. It's been a little hard to keep up with them all but I seriously appreciate all of you so much!!

"I don't think I should go to Spain," Magnus said, arms crossed over his chest. 

Alec tore his eyes away from the map of the city displayed in front of him to look at Magnus. The two of them, plus Jace, Izzy, Clary, Simon, and Underhill were all gathered around a table in the opscenter. 

"You should go," Alec said, looking at Magnus. "Catarina could really use your help, and I know you were looking forward to it." 

"If anything like what you've seen in these visions is about to happen, you're going to need me here," Magnus argued, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Lilith is not to be underestimated. And -"

"And you will only be a portal away," Alec said softly, taking a step toward Magnus. 

Magnus still didn't look convinced. "I don't like the idea of being separated from you. Not now, not when a threat like this is just waiting to pounce." 

"Was there anything in the visions that suggested when Lilith might try to raise this demon?" Clary asked, looking up at Alec. 

Alec shook his head. "No." He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I could try to see if the stone will give me another vision." 

"No," Magnus and Jace said simultaneously, and Alec raised his eyebrows at them. 

"It's too dangerous," Jace said. It was clear that he was pissed about not being told about the stone in the first place. Alec could tell that Jace and Izzy were just waiting for a chance to yell at him. "It hurts you whenever you touch it. There's absolutely no way you should do that again." 

"It only hurts for a moment," Alec argued. "And it's nothing that an iratze can't fix." 

"You got a nosebleed last night," Magnus pressed. "And that was hours after you had touched it." 

Jace's frown deepened as he glared at Alec. Alec closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling through his nose. 

"Okay, fine," he said, reopening his eyes. "I won't touch the stone again, unless we have no other options." And then he slipped into leader mode, clasping his hands together behind his back. "I want patrols increased and looking for any sign of strong demon activity. I don't mean large numbers of demons, I mean strong sources of power. Lilith is a greater demon, and we need to be on the lookout for if she does ever show up in the city. I'm going to alert other institutes to be on the lookout as well. I want at least two downworlders in every patrol. They will be able to pick up the signature better than a shadowhunter will." 

Underhill nodded once and turned to carry out the order to the rest of the institute. 

Simon raised his hand, and Alec fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, Simon?" 

"Can I see the stone?" Simon asked, lowering his hand after an awkward pause. "I want to see if it smells." 

Izzy raised an eyebrow from where she stood beside him. "Smells like what?" 

"I don't know, anything," Simon said with a small shrug. "If Lilith is creating huge, terrifying demons, then maybe she created the stone, too. She may have a similar signature or smell to the stone." 

Magnus looked mildly impressed while Izzy smiled at Simon. 

"I'll get it," Alec said, disappearing from the opscenter in the direction of his office. 

Magnus watched him go, fiddling with one of rings. 

"What's in Spain?" 

He pulled his eyes away from where Alec had disappeared to see Clary looking at him, a curious smile on her face. The others turned to look at him as well. 

"A warlock orphanage," Magnus said, unable to stop the smile that pulled at his lips. "Catarina goes there often to check on the children and make sure they are all in good health, and to teach them some healing skills. She is going for a few weeks this time and asked me to accompany her, since they have more kids there than normal at the moment." 

"You should go," Izzy said softly, smiling at him. "Like Alec said, you'd only be a portal away. And I could stay with him at the loft, if that would make you feel any better?" 

Magnus exhaled, feeling his chest lighten slightly. "That would, actually -" 

He cut off when Jace suddenly let out a gasp, clutching at his parabatai rune. 

"Alec," Jace choked out. 

Simon's nostrils flared. "I smell blood." 

Magnus was moving before Jace could say anything else. He shoved the door to Alec's office open to see Alec on his knees on the floor, bent over in pain as he clutched his stomach, a pool of blood beside him. 

"Alexander, what's wrong?" Magnus demanded, rushing forward and dropping to his knees beside Alec. 

Magnus gently grabbed Alec's cheeks, forcing him to look at him as he brushed some of Alec's hair back. 

"Alec, talk to me," Magnus said. "What's wrong?" 

Alec groaned and twisted away from Magnus just in time to throw up more blood on the carpet.

"Did he touch the stone?" Jace demanded as he pushed through the doorway, Izzy right on his heels. Clary and Simon hung back in the hallway. 

"No," Alec croaked out. 

Magnus scanned the room, spotting the stone still sitting on the desk. 

"Do you feel that?" Izzy asked, voice hushed. She slowly walked toward the desk, looking down at the stone. "It's like it's pulsing." 

Magnus watched the stone, and he realized she was right. Every couple of seconds, the stone would ignite slightly, as if it was burning from the inside, before the light would disappear just as quickly as it had come. Like a heartbeat. 

It glowed brightly for a moment, and Alec shuddered before throwing up again. 

Realization suddenly struck Magnus. "It's feeding off of him." 

"What?" Jace demanded. 

Magnus stood, scooping Alec into his arms like it was nothing and hurrying out of the office. As soon as Alec was out, his breathing became easier and he slowly stopped trembling. 

“That thing was feeding off of him?” Jace practically snarled from behind him. 

Magnus turned, handing Alec over to Jace, who took him without question. Alec’s eyes were dazed but slowly coming back into focus, and Jace knew that was the only reason Alec was still allowing himself to be held. 

Magnus walked back into the office, approaching the stone as a wave of rage filled him. Izzy watched him warily, arms crossed over her chest. 

The stone was no longer pulsing. Magnus raised a hand, magic extending from his palm and wrapping around the stone. He could feel the pure power that raged within the stone, much like he had the first time he had examined it. But this time it was angrier, more forceful and demanding. 

With a quick motion of his hands, the stone disappeared, and the air in the office immediately lightened. 

“Where did you send it?” Clary asked from where she stood in the doorway. 

“I have a heavily warded safe place for objects just like this. It’s powers will not be able to extend past my barriers, and no one but myself or Alec know the location. It’s safe, and it can no longer hurt anyone.” 

Magnus led the way back into the hall, and the tightness in his chest loosened when he saw that Alec was now standing on his own two feet. Jace still hovered near him, but Alec seemed to be able to stand just fine now. 

“Are you hurt?” Magnus asked, reaching out and giving Alec’s wrist a gentle squeeze. 

Alec didn’t hesitate to shift his hand up, linking their fingers together. “I’m fine. I swear I didn’t touch it. I barely made it two steps into my office before...I don’t know, everything is kind of a blur after that.” 

“It was feeding off of you, Alexander,” Magnus said, a deep frown on his face. “It was draining the life right out of you. It has demonic power like I’ve never seen before.” 

“And you’re saying this Lilith person created this thing?” Jace demanded. “If she can create something so powerful…”

“You can only imagine the type of power she has,” Magnus said gravely. “She’s the queen of hell. And she is one of the most powerful greater demons to ever exist. Whatever she is coming for, whatever she is after, she won’t be easy to stop.” 

Alec pressed his lips together, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers with his free hand. Magnus still held onto the other one tightly. 

After a moment, Alec sighed and looked at them. “We need to report this to Imogen. We’re going to need all the help we can get.” 

—

Magnus sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace in Alec's office, watching as his husband paced back and forth. Alec was on the phone with Imogen, explaining the situation.

Magnus's gaze drifted from Alec's stiff posture to the spot on the carpet where Alec had been lying just a mere hour ago, throwing up blood. His stomach twisted, but he couldn't pull his eyes away. He could still hear the sound of Alec retching. 

No matter how many times it happened, and it happened far too much, Magnus would never get used to the sight of Alec in pain. His heart would always race, his stomach would always drop. He'd always want to cry once the panic was over, and he'd also always swallow down his emotion and focus on Alec. 

Alec hung up, walking over and dropping into the chair next to Magnus. Magnus finally pulled his eyes away from the carpet to look at him. 

Alec looked tired, it was clear he had not been sleeping well the past few days since the stone had been found. Neither of them had. 

"Imogen is going to send extra reinforcements so we can increase patrols," Alec said, crossing his legs so that his ankle rest on his knee. "And she's going to request you to speak with other warlocks, see if anyone knows of ways to stop Lilith from...doing whatever it is she's trying to do." 

Magnus could hear the frustration in Alec's voice. "We'll figure this out, Alexander. We always do." 

Alec looked over at him and smiled softly. "I know." 

Alec didn't need to say anything more, Magnus understood how he was feeling. He stood, walking over to Alec's chair and leaned down to press a kiss to Alec's temple. "How about I conjure us up some dinner? I don't know about you, but I'm starving." 

Alec smiled up at him, stretching up to connect their lips. After a moment, he pulled back just slightly so that he could look up at Magnus. "Or we could go somewhere? I kind of fell asleep and ruined our last date night." 

Magnus smiled as he hummed thoughtfully. He cupped Alec's face, stroking his cheek with the pad of this thumb. "I like the sound of that." 

-

Catarina was waiting for him as Magnus stepped out of the portal in front of the orphanage the next day. 

"Took you long enough," she greeted, her arms crossed over her chest but her expression playful. "I was starting to think that you weren't coming at all." 

Magnus fixed the sleeve of his jacket. "Things have been a little...hectic in New York." 

Catarina raised an eyebrow. "Things? What kind of things? Is Alec okay?" 

A hint of a smile ghosted Magnus's lips at Catarina's friendship with Alec, and then he let out a sigh. "The Queen of Hell kind of things." 

Catarina's eyes widened. "Lilith?" she demanded, her voice softer than it had been before as her eyes filled with guarded worry. "She's in New York? How did she escape Edom?" 

"I’m not sure if she has," Magnus sighed. "But if not, she's close. She created this...stone. The Los Angeles Institute discovered it in an abandoned church. Alec's father is the head of that institute and brought it to Alec. It burned him, Cat. It burned Alec's hand as if it was made of fire, because of his angel blood. And it gave him a vision. He saw Edom and he heard Lilith talking and she mentioned Jonathan. We don't know what her plan is, but it can't be good." 

"Nothing involving Lilith is ever good," Catarina muttered, trying to process everything Magnus had just thrown at her. “Where is the stone now?”

"I've hidden it away. Alec had it in his office and it started draining his energy. It was feeding off of him. I've never seen anything like it before." 

"It was _feeding_ off of him?" Catarina demanded, her eyes widening slightly. 

Magnus nodded. "It was horrible. He was collapsed on the floor, throwing up blood and too weak to do anything." 

"Who else was in the room?" Catarina asked sharply. 

Magnus furrowed his eyebrows. "At first, just Alec. And then Jace felt his pain, and myself, Jace, and Izzy ran in there. Clary and Simon hung back in the doorway." 

"And it didn't feed off of anyone else?" 

"No," Magnus said as the realization began to dawn on him. "Only Alec." 

"This sounds like very dark magic, Magnus," Catarina said, her tone serious. "And I think it has latched onto Alec." 

Magnus resisted the urge to portal back to the loft immediately. It was three in the morning back in New York, meaning Alec would be still curled up into Magnus's pillow like when he had left. Magnus had the strong desire to watch over him and not let anything near him. 

"This is why I can only stay for the day," he said instead. "I know New York is only a portal away, but -"

"But you are the High Warlock, and you have responsibilities," Catarina said with an understanding nod. "Plus you want to be there to watch over your husband, who has a tendency to throw himself into danger to protect others. I understand, Magnus." 

Magnus smiled appreciatively at his friend, and she turned to lead the way further into the orphanage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter....things really start going down ;)


	5. I Hear a Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

Alec sat in one of the chairs in his office, staring into the flames in the fireplace. His tablet rest in his lap, untouched for several minutes. He absentmindedly twirled his wedding ring around his finger with his thumb, and a frown pulled at his lips. 

He could hear whispers, as if the visions had never completely stopped playing within his brain. 

_“Together, we will usher in a new dawn."_

_“With her, nothing can stop us from wreaking destruction upon the world.”_

_“We will be free again.”_

"Earth to Alec," a voice said from behind him. 

He blinked a few times and craned his neck to see Jace standing in the doorway to his office. Alec grunted in response, and Jace shut the door behind him as he walked in. 

"Hey," Jace greeted, dropping down into the chair next to Alec. Alec returned his gaze to the flames, and Jace frowned slightly. "Are you okay?" 

"I don't know," Alec said, sounding distant. "Something doesn't feel right." 

"Are you hurt?" Jace questioned, reaching toward him. 

"No, not like that," Alec said, waving him off. "Something about this whole situation, Lilith and the stone. I think we're missing something. But I can't figure out what it is." 

"Okay," Jace said, leaning back in his chair. "Let's go over the visions again -"

"I've gone over them a hundred times," Alec snapped, and then his shoulders sagged and he pinched the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. He exhaled, trying to calm himself down. "Sorry." 

Jace blinked a few times, not used to Alec losing his temper so quickly. "When's the last time you slept?" 

"That's not what is important right now," Alec muttered, pushing himself to his feet and walking toward his desk.

He didn’t need to tell Jace that his sleep was consumed with the visions, playing over and over in his mind like a never-ending nightmare. 

Jace watched him as Alec dropped the tablet down onto the desk, his frown deepening at Alec's actions. Alec was always graceful and controlled. Even when he was angry, his movements were always thought out. He kept his cool in situations where Jace never could. 

But at this moment, it was like someone else was controlling Alec’s body. His movements were jerky and angry, and his posture was stiff. Alec turned toward the window, crossing his arms over his chest. After a long moment, he turned to look back at Jace. "I can still feel it." 

Jace rose to his feet. "Feel what?" 

"The stone," Alec forced out. "I can feel it pulling me in, like this invisible force wrapping itself around me and trying to smother me. It's...it's this darkness, Jace. I don't know how to describe it, but its always there, pulling at me." 

Jace crossed the room and placed his hands on Alec's shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Alec. We're going to figure this out, okay? The stone is far away, locked away and safe where no one can touch it." 

"We have to stop Lilith," Alec insisted. "Whatever she is planning, it's not good. She wants to destroy...everything, Jace. And we are no further in figuring out her plan than we were two days ago. We can't keep waiting for her next move, the anticipation is killing me -" 

"Woah, woah, woah," Jace exclaimed, cutting Alec off and giving his shoulders a squeeze. "Take a few deep breaths." 

Alec forced himself to breathe in through his nose before slowly exhaling. Jace felt his shoulders relax slightly beneath his hands. 

"That's it," Jace said gently. 

There was a sudden knock on the door, breaking the moment. 

Jace felt Alec's shoulders tense beneath his hands again, and he let out a small sigh as he took a step back. He watched as Alec took a moment to collect himself before walking over to the door and pulling it open. 

Underhill stepped inside. "There's not much to update from the patrols, sir. Still no sign of Lilith or any abnormal demon activity, which I suppose is a good thing. Imogen's reinforcements should be arriving in the morning." 

Alec seemed to only be half-listening as Underhill spoke, his gaze distant. Jace frowned. 

"In other news, a patrol did find a nest of scorpius demons. Too big for their patrol alone to handle. They have set up a perimeter and have requested backup." 

"Alright," Alec said, following Underhill out of the office. 

Jace noticed Alec had left behind his stele, and quickly grabbed it for him before hurrying after the two of them. 

The opscenter was more chaotic than usual. With the increase in patrols, more people were moving about. Jace paused to let an incoming patrol through before catching up with Alec and Underhill at one of the only open tables. 

Underhill pulled up a map of the city and pointed toward a cluster of red dots near an abandoned warehouse district. "The nest is here." He moved his finger to a few different points on the map. "Our patrol has set up a perimeter here, here, here, and here." 

Alec nodded along as Underhill spoke. He moved to walk around the table when Clary hurried up to him, followed by Simon and Izzy. 

"Hey," Clary said, sounding out of breath. "Do you know when Magnus will be back from Spain? Simon never got a chance to smell the stone and -" 

"Later," Alec said gruffly, cutting her off. He turned his attention back to Underhill. "Let's send in another patrol of four to assist them. I want Jace and Maia as part of the patrol. These demons can be tricky and they are two of our best." 

Jace smiled slightly. Alec didn't give praise lightly, and he knew that when Alec said those words, he actually meant them. 

Underhill opened his mouth to reply when Izzy spoke. "Alec, we really need to know when Magnus will be back. He said that only he and you know where the stone is. I'd like to analyze it myself, and there's no way I can let you near it again and -" 

"Enough!" Alec suddenly snapped, turning to face them. The opscenter fell silent from the sound of his raised voice. "I am in the middle of something. We can discuss this when Magnus gets back. _Later.”_

Izzy blinked at him in surprise, not used to Alec using that tone with her. Alec sighed, turning away from her and back to Underhill. 

Underhill spoke quickly. "I'll alert them right away and get the patrol out." 

Alec nodded in response and watched him walk away. He turned to Jace. "You need to gear up." 

Jace took a step closer to him. "Are you sure you want me to go? I can stay here with you and -" 

"I don't need to be coddled, Jace," Alec said tightly. "Go gear up." 

Jace knew he wasn't going to win this one. He nodded once and extended his hand to give Alec his stele. Alec furrowed his eyebrows before taking it and shoving it into his pocket. Jace nodded again before turning away from Alec and heading in the direction of the weapons room. He was aware of Izzy and Clary following him. 

"What was that?" Izzy hissed at him, gesturing back toward Alec. 

"Well, you did interrupt him," Jace said as he strapped a thigh holster on. 

"Alec never loses his cool like that," Izzy argued. "Not in the middle of the opscenter." 

"He's stressed, Iz," Jace said with a sigh as he straightened to look at her. "We are no closer to figuring out what Lilith's plan is. You know how he feels personally responsible for the safety of everyone in New York. He's stressed."

Izzy didn't seem satisfied, walking into her office and closing the door behind her. Jace sighed again, looking at Clary, who had remained silent the entire time. 

Clary read his expression. "Don't worry about it, Jace," she said softly. "It's like you said. He's stressed. And we did interrupt him. I can tell you are worried about it. I'll keep an eye on him while you are on patrol, okay?" 

Jace felt the weight on his shoulders lighten slightly. "Thank you," he said, stepping forward to kiss her forehead. "Just don't let him know you're watching him, or he might try to shoot you or something."

Clary laughed, stretching up to connect their lips briefly before she made her way out of the weapons room. 

She found him in the kitchen. Alec was sneaking through one of the cupboards, attempting to reach something in the back. Clary's eyes widened when he pulled out a box of cookies. 

"Are those Tagalogs?" she demanded. 

Alec spun to face her, relaxing slightly when he realized it was just her. He slowly looked down at the box and then back up at her. "Maybe." 

She crossed the kitchen so that she was in front of him. His eyes narrowed as she reached into the box to grab a cookie, but he said nothing. 

"I didn't even know shadowhunters knew about these," Clary exclaimed before taking a bite. 

Alec scrunched his nose. "There's always these girls selling cookies outside the book shop down the street. It's kind of impossible to say no to them." 

Clary smiled, picturing the great and tough Alec Lightwood buying girl scout cookies. "Those girls are girl scouts. They sell cookies every year." 

Alec raised an eyebrow at her, somehow looking both confused and unimpressed at the same time. 

Clary rolled her eyes fondly. "Girl Scouts is an organization of girls that promotes character, outdoor activities, good citizenship, and service to others." 

"And they do that by....selling cookies?" 

Clary opened her mouth to respond, and then shut it again, tilting her head to the side. "Huh. I actually have no idea why they sell cookies. But they are delicious." 

She went to grab another cookie, but Alec pulled the box away from her reach. "Let me guess. You used to be a girl scout?" 

"So what if I was?" Clary said defensively. 

Alec chuckled, reaching into the box and grabbing himself a cookie. 

"I never would have guessed that you have a sweet tooth," Clary said, watching as he ate the first one in one bite and then reached in for another. 

He reluctantly offered her another one, extending the box toward her. "I blame Jace. He used to sneak in stuff from a bakery all the time when we were kids, especially after we had gotten in trouble for something." 

Clary smiled at the thought. Alec closed the box, stretching up into the cupboard again to tuck them away in the back. 

"If you tell anyone about these cookies, I'm making you buy me more." 

"I won't tell a soul," she said, pretending to lock her lips with an invisible key. 

Alec rolled his eyes at her and walked out of the kitchen. Clary let him go, feeling content that he appeared calmer. 

When Alec reached his office, he closed the door and leaned back against it, exhaling slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment willing everything to go away. He just needed a moment. One moment where everything was silent. A moment where the whispering within stopped.

_"Together, we will usher in a new dawn."_

He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, bringing his hands up to his ears. 

His phone beeped in his pocket, and he pulled it out with shaky fingers to see a text from Magnus. 

_Catarina has done wonderful work at this orphanage, Alexander. You'll have to come see it soon. I'll be home in about an hour. How does dinner from our favorite restaurant in Spain sound? Love you._

The darkness that had been attempting to creep in suddenly disappeared. He could breathe a little easier, and a smile drifted across his lips as he typed his reply.

_Sounds perfect. Love you._

\--

Magnus smiled down at the reply from Alec. He opened an unread message from Izzy and his smile slipped into a small frown. 

_I'm worried about Alec. He's on edge today. Something seems off. Like before, when he was so closed off. I don't like seeing him like this again._

Magnus sighed before typing a quick reply. _I'll keep an eye on him, Isabelle. Thank you._

"Trouble back in New York?" Catarina asked, noticing his frown. 

"Maybe," Magnus said, tucking his phone away. "It might also just be overprotective siblings." 

Catarina sighed fondly. "Sometimes I wish I had a sibling. But I suppose I have you, and that's pretty close." 

Magnus smiled warmly at her. 

She pushed off the wall she had been leaning on and gestured for him to move. "Go on, get going. Thank you for all your help today. Now go cuddle your shadowhunter." 

Magnus hugged her quickly before conjuring up a portal and stepping through. He smiled when he noticed that Alec had not arrived home yet. It gave him time to conjure up a nice dinner for the two of them. He would order some of Alec’s favorite comfort foods and prepare to pamper his stressed husband. 

He raised his hand when suddenly the lights flickered. He paused, slowly looking around. He felt a push against his wards. 

The lights went out completely. The temperature dropped. Magnus felt a sudden weight. His wards were down. 

Magnus's glamour fell and his cat eyes shone in the darkness as a figure appeared in the middle of the living room. 

"Hello, Magnus Bane. It's nice to finally meet you." 

Lilith.


	6. Tethered Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, got caught up in a few things and have been focusing a lot on my own personal novel that I am currently writing. Thank you for being patient with me! :)

The lights flickered back on. Lilith was smiling, and her long dark hair enveloped her face. Her features were soft in comparison to her sharp eyes and her lips were painted dark to match the wine colored dress that hugged her body. There was an icy calmness to the way she moved, the sequins on her dress shimmering as she walked toward him. 

"What are you doing here, in my home?" Magnus demanded, trying to keep his voice calm as he kept a careful distance between the two of them. 

Lilith glanced around the loft. “Sorry to intrude. You have a lovely place.” 

Magnus said nothing, waiting for her to answer his question 

"I'm here for your assistance," she said, pausing in her steps and linking her hands together in front of her. 

"What could I possibly help you with?" Magnus asked, trying to keep his tone light as he moved toward his alcohol cart and poured two drinks. Being amicable might be the only way he was getting out of this unscathed. 

"I'm trying to bring my son back," she said, sounding a few steps closer than before. 

Magnus turned to her, stretching his arm out to offer her a drink. She took it, smiling at him and taking a sip. 

"Your son?" Magnus repeated. "I was unaware you had a son." 

"His name is Jonathan," Lilith said, tracing the rim of her glass with a perfectly painted fingernail. "And he was killed by a shadowhunter. Alexander Lightwood. I believe you know of him?" 

Magnus's heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. Lilith was trying to bring Jonathan back, the monster that had killed Alec right in front of him. 

"We're acquainted," Magnus said tightly. 

Lilith laughed. "You don't have to lie to me," she said, her tone shifting slightly. "I know you two are married. I suppose a congratulations is in order?" 

Magnus said nothing, praying that Alec would not come walking through the door. The thought of Alexander and Lilith in the same room made his stomach clench. 

"No need to be so nervous," Lilith taunted. "I don't want to hurt him. And I won't, if you help me." 

"What do you need me for?" Magnus said, raising an eyebrow. 

"I need you to bring me Clarissa Morgenstern." 

Magnus controlled his features, keeping his expression neutral. "What for?" 

"So many questions," Lilith said with a sigh. 

"I don't offer my services to just anyone," Magnus said before forcing himself to take a sip of his drink. 

Lilith watched him, her chin raised. "I'm not just anyone. I'm the Mother of all Demons." 

"And I’m the High Warlock of Brooklyn," Magnus snapped back. "Titles mean nothing to me." 

"Fine," Lilith said stiffly. "If you must know, Clary is the final piece I need to bring back Jonathan. They are linked to one another, thanks to something I have created. But that's not enough." 

"Why do you need me to bring her to you?" Magnus pressed. “I’m sure you’re more than capable of figuring out how to get her yourself.” 

Lilith shrugged. “I would like to keep off of the institute's radar for as long as possible. I hardly doubt they would approve of my plans.” 

Magnus set down his drink, drawing himself up to his full height as he faced her. "I will not bring you Clary. I will not help you bring Jonathan back. He was an enemy of the Clave, and he supported Valentine and the destruction of the downworld. I will not help you bring him back.” 

Lilith reacted instantly, magic shooting from her hand and wrapping around Magnus's throat, slamming him back against the wall. He struggled in her snake-like grip, his hands wrapping around her wrist and clawing at her to let go. 

“I might not be able to kill you,” Lilith snarled, her magic tightening around Magnus’s throat. “But I can hurt the ones you love. And this time, I’ll make sure your little shadowhunter stays dead.” 

Lilith threw him to the ground, and she was gone in a flash. Magnus scrambled to his feet, digging his phone out of his pocket and calling Alec. His heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest as he waited for Alec to answer. After the third ring, he finally did. 

“Hey,” Alec said, sounding like he was smiling. 

“Where are you?” Magnus demanded. 

“I’m on my way to the loft now,” Alec said. “Why - am I late?” 

“I - I need to know exactly where you are,” Magnus stumbled out. 

“Um, about two blocks away, 5th street,” Alec replied, sounding confused. “Is everything okay? You’re kinda freaking me out.” 

Magnus opened his mouth to say something when suddenly the call dropped. 

“Shit,” Magnus gasped out, opening a portal and stepping out onto 5th street. He choked out a breath of relief when he spotted Alec walking in his direction. 

“Alexander!” Magnus called, hurrying toward him. 

Alec put his phone away just as Magnus reached him. “What’s going on?” 

“Lilith was just at the loft,” Magnus said quickly, attempting to catch his breath. “She’s coming after you. It’s not safe here. We need to go.”

Alec blinked at him a few times, trying to process everything Magnus had just said. “What?” 

Magnus opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly the temperature around them dropped and he could see his breath as he let out a shaky exhale. He looked around slowly, his expression wary. 

“We need to leave, now,” Magnus said, taking ahold of Alec’s upper arm gently as he lifted his free arm to prepare to open a portal. 

There was a blast from behind them, knocking them off balance. They regained their footing simultaneously and spun to see Lilith striding toward them, hand outstretched. 

“Alexander, get behind me!” Magnus shouted, bringing his magic to his palms. 

Magnus was grateful that for once, Alec listened to him. Otherwise, Alec didn’t move a muscle. 

Lilith chuckled at them. "You really think you can stop me, Bane? I am the Mother of Demons. And you, shadowhunter," she said, turning her gaze onto Alec, "are the one who killed my son." 

Magnus went on the defensive, throwing up a barrier just as Lilith shot out at them with her magic. Her magic hit the barrier like a wave, exploding against it and then traveling upwards. Black met blue in an electrifying dance. 

Magnus risked a glance back at Alec. "I can't hold her off forever. We need to get out of here." 

Alec didn’t answer. His eyes remained on Lilith, an expression on his face that Magnus didn’t recognize. He furrowed his eyebrows at him, opening his mouth to speak again. 

Lilith took advantage of his distraction. She threw a new wave of magic at them, crashing through Magnus's barrier and knocking him off his feet. 

Alec finally moved, unglamoring his bow. His eyes glowed as he activated his runes without his stele. Lilith’s stride faltered. 

“You have angel blood,” she observed, her voice much quieter than just moments before. 

Magnus conjured up a portal. Alec released an arrow and then turned as Magnus grabbed ahold of him to pull him through - but then Lilith was there. Her magic slammed into Magnus, sending him crashing to the ground. His head cracked against the pavement and his vision blurred. 

She hit Alec with another blast of magic, sending him flying in the other direction. 

Lilith towered over Magnus. He barely had time to throw up a barrier before she attempted to attack him again. Her expression shifted from anger to almost a smile. She turned sharply and started walking to where Alec was attempting to recover from her blast. 

Magnus lowered his barrier and stood, only to realize that she had trapped him within a barrier of her own. 

“Alexander!” He screamed, placing his palms against the barrier and attempting to break through it with his magic. “Run!” 

Lilith reached Alec, lifting him up by his throat and slamming him back against the side of a building, much like she had done to Magnus back at the loft. Her touch burned him, and he choked out a gasp of pain as he struggled to gain some footing. She kept him lifted to where his toes barely touched the ground. 

“You killed my son,” she snarled. 

“He killed me first,” Alec choked out.

Lilith’s grip tightened. “I am going to bring him back and -“

“Usher in a new dawn,” Alec strained, staring right at her. 

Her gaze faltered slightly, and then her grip loosened. She lowered him just enough that his feet were flat on the floor. She scanned her eyes over his face before she suddenly grabbed Alec’s wrist with her free hand, lifting his hand to look at it. 

Alec cried out as the burn from the stone returned on his palm, the skin of his palm becoming red and angry as the wound reappeared. Magnus stopped fighting against the barrier, his heart slamming in his chest as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. 

“It’s you,” Lilith suddenly said, her voice much quieter than before. She looked back at Alec’s face. “You are the one who is connected to Jonathan.” 

Alec’s eyes flicked past her, locking with Magnus. Magnus could have swore for just a moment, Alec’s eyes were not his own. The beautiful hazel that Magnus had grown to love so much was gone, replaced with solid black. But then Alec blinked, and the hazel returned. 

And then, Lilith began to laugh. “Oh, the irony,” she said, grinning as she tightened her hold on Alec’s neck again. “You killed my Jonathan. And now you are going to help bring him back.” 

There was a sudden crackle of energy in the air, and Lilith turned her head sharply to the side. Magnus slammed his hands against the barrier again, his magic finally starting to break through. 

And then everything exploded at once. The barrier shattered, sending a blast of magic through the air. It knocked Lilith off of her feet, causing her to lose her grip on Alec. Alec regained his footing. 

“Alexander!” Magnus shouted, opening another portal and signalling for Alec to run. 

But Alec didn’t move. He stood halfway between Lilith and Magnus, his face blank. 

“Alexander!” Magnus shouted again. 

Lilith laughed, brushing some hair out of her face as she stood. “He feels the pull of Jonathan,” she said with a grin. “They are linked now. He touched my stone. He touched Jonathan’s life force.” 

“Alexander,” Magnus said, his voice wavering slightly. “Listen to my voice. You have to fight it. Listen to me, okay? Come with me.”

Alec tilted his head toward him, and Magnus felt a small moment of relief when familiar eyes stared at him. And then Alec grunted in pain, squeezing his eyes shut and reaching a shaky hand up toward his temple. 

“Feel the darkness calling,” Lilith said, her voice smooth like silk as she extended a hand toward Alec. “It beckons you to finish what you have started. Come with me.” 

“Alexander, don’t listen to her,” Magnus said desperately. 

There was a crackle of energy in the air again, and Lilith’s smile faltered slightly. Magnus felt the shift in the air, too, and frowned at the familiarity of it. 

Alec reopened his eyes, turning fully toward Magnus. “Magnus -” his voice was tight, like speaking caused him pain. He took an uneasy step toward Magnus. 

In the blink of an eye, a portal opened in the ground just a few steps from Alec. Before either Magnus or Lilith could move, a red, fiery lasso of magic shot out of the portal and wrapped around Alec’s torso. 

Alec’s eyes were wide with panic and confusion as he looked at Magnus. 

“NO!” Lilith screamed. 

They both lunged toward Alec, but he was ripped out of their grasps and through the portal. It was like slow motion as Magnus watched Alec disappear from sight, the last thing he saw was Alec mouthing his name as he was dragged downwards. 

Magnus’s hands hit the cement of the sidewalk where the the portal had been just moments before. Lilith let out a feral scream before disappearing through a portal of her own. 

“No,” Magnus gasped out quietly as he ran his fingers through some black dust, magic remnants left behind by whoever had created the portal. He examined it closely, and then felt his heart sink into his stomach. 

Asmodeus.


End file.
